Jones a Big Winner in First ABL Game

The K.C. Jones era opened with success--a victory Sunday in front of an ABL record crowd of 12,683 at the Hartford Civic Center.

Carolyn Jones scored 24 points as the New England Blizzard defeated the Atlanta Glory, 86-66, in the opener of the American Basketball League’s second season.

K.C. Jones, the former Boston Celtic coach and NBA Hall of Famer, was named New England’s coach in the off-season.

Shanda Berry added 20 points and Jennifer Rizzotti 14 for the Blizzard.

Stacey Lovelace had 16 points and Katrina McClain contributed 14 for the Glory.

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A touring WNBA team capitalized on 25 turnovers and got 21 points each from Lisa Leslie and Tina Thompson to defeat the German national team, 100-63, in an exhibition at Bonn, Germany.

Tennis

Martina Hingis, who entertained the crowd by practicing with a ballboy while her injured opponent was being treated, beat Lisa Raymond, 6-4, 6-2, to win the $450,000 Porsche Cup at Filderstadt, Germany.

The 17-year-old Swiss star, the world’s No. 1 player, was never tested by the American during her 66-minute victory. She has lost only three times in 1997.

Goran Ivanisevic of Croatia rallied from a two-set deficit to beat Brit Greg Rusedski, 3-6, 6-7 (4-7), 7-6 (7-4), 6-2, 6-3, and win the $800,000 CA Trophy tournament at Vienna, Austria.

The title is Ivanisevic’s third this year and 20th tour triumph in more than a decade on the circuit.

Magnus Gustafsson of Sweden, bothered by a recurring shoulder injury, defeated Germany’s Nicolas Kiefer, 4-6, 6-3, 6-3, in the Heineken Open at Singapore.

Soccer

Three days after having its 30-match winning streak ended in a 3-1 loss to Germany, the United States women’s national team defeated Germany, 3-0, in Salzgitter, Germany.

Mia Hamm opened the scoring in the 31st minute with a 10-yard shot into the left corner of the net after a pass from Tiffeny Milbrett. Milbrett made it 2-0 five minutes before halftime, converting passes from Shannon MacMillan and Tisha Venturini and scoring from six yards out.

Hamm completed the scoring in the 75th minute, heading in a pass from MacMillan for her 80th international goal in 132 games.

Names in the News

California Coach Ben Braun, cited in media reports as the leading contender to replace fired Michigan basketball coach Steve Fisher, issued a statement saying he has not been contacted about the job.

“I have not been contacted by anyone from the University of Michigan,” Braun said. “My focus has been on our fall recruiting efforts and the start of practice this week.”

Fisher was fired Friday by new Michigan Athletic Director Tom Goss, who said the basketball program needed a new direction.

Goss confirmed Sunday that Braun is a candidate for the job, the Ann Arbor News reported. He named only one other candidate, former Michigan star Cazzie Russell, coach of Division III Savannah College of Art and Design.

Others possible candidates mentioned include Oklahoma Coach Kelvin Sampson and North Carolina assistant Phil Ford.

Beaten in a British light-welterweight title fight Saturday, Carl Wright collapsed on his way home and was on life support after having a blood clot removed from his brain, according to boxing officials.

The 28-year-old fighter was reported to have passed out while traveling home from the loss to Mark Winters at Sheffield, which was on the undercard to two world title fights. Wright lost a decision to Winters at the Sheffield Arena.

Former American Basketball Assn. star Walt Simon died after a long battle with cancer.

Simon, 56, died at his Louisville, Ky., home Friday night. The 6-foot-6 Simon played in the ABA for eight years with the New Jersey Americans, New York Nets and Kentucky Colonels.

Calvin R. “Cal” Whorton, 84, a Times sportswriter and copy editor for more than 40 years, died Saturday of natural causes at a retirement home in Alhambra.

Whorton, who had lived in Alhambra for more than 50 years, covered boxing and the Los Angeles Rams before finishing his career as the day sports news editor. Whorton, who retired in 1979 at 65, is survived by one son, Dick, and two grandchildren. Funeral services are private.